https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-45554-w.pdf

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-45554-w
Published: 25 October 2023

Terminal ballistic analysis of impact fractures reveals
the use of spearthrower 31 ky ago at Maisières‑Canal, Belgium

Abstract
The emergence of hunting technology in the deep past
fundamentally shaped the subsistence strategies of
early human populations. Hence knowing when different
weapons were first introduced is important for
understanding our evolutionary trajectory. The timing
of the adoption of long-range weaponry remains heavily
debated because preserved organic weapon components
are extremely rare in the Paleolithic record and stone
points are difficult to attribute reliably to weapon
delivery methods without supporting organic evidence.
Here, we use a refined use-wear approach to demonstrate
that spearthrower was used for launching projectiles
armed with tanged flint points at Maisières-Canal
(Belgium) 31,000 years ago. The novelty of our approach
lies in the combination of impact fracture data with
terminal ballistic analysis of the mechanical stress
suffered by a stone armature on impact. This stress is
distinct for each weapon and visible archaeologically
as fracture proportions on assemblage scale. Our
reference dataset derives from a sequential experimental
program that addressed individually each key parameter
affecting fracture formation and successfully reproduced
the archaeological fracture signal. The close match
between the archaeological sample and the experimental
spearthrower set extends the timeline of spearthrower
use by over 10,000 years and represents the earliest
reliable trace-based evidence for the utilization of
long-distance weaponry in prehistoric hunting.